Discover up close and personal why one of the greatest cultural landmarks of the world continues to emit a special energy over the city it has inspired for more than 2,500 years
From wherever you catch sight of it in Athens, the Acropolis steals every bit of your attention. And with good reason for, just as it did 2,500 years ago, it continues to bear witness to an ever-changing city that carries the name of its most famous temple.
A natural hilltop fortress for the first inhabitants, a place for worshiping the ancient gods, the centerpiece of the glorious reconstruction project of Pericles in the 5th century BC as Athens enjoyed its Golden Period… the Acropolis has seen it all. Civilizations and conquerors have come and gone (some adding to, some destroying the monuments of the Sacred Rock) and it’s still there.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and is an enduring symbol of the spirit, enterprise and culture that Greek antiquity gave to the world.
To explore it is to discover a masterpiece of ancient architecture and artistry. What we admire today – together with the artifacts housed in the Acropolis Museum – is the work of the greatest craftsmen and engineers: The Parthenon (certainly the most recognized Greek structure worldwide) dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Erechtheion with its majestic female Caryatids holding up the porch, the Temple of Athena Nike… astonishingly feats of ambition.
So whether you explore the museum on your own, or join a tour with an archaeologist (which is recommended), you’ll be rewarded. With each floor, your respect for a monument that is emblematic of Athens will rise.
DON’T MISS
The Roman-era doorway, named after the 19th century archaeologist who discovered it, is your introduction to the site. It was a late addition, originally linked to the Propylaea by a broad marble staircase in around 3rd century AD in an attempt to protect the site.
A tall, rectangular marble plinth built in the second century BC just beyond the Beulé Gate. It is named after the Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus, because a bronze representation of his four-horse chariot was once mounted on the base.
This is where things hot up. The Propylaea is a grand stairway complex (containing five gateways, with Ionian and Doric columns flanking it) that lead up to the Parthenon and the other monuments you’ve come to admire.
Take a moment to cherish the wonderfully-preserved Temple of Athena Nike. It stands to the side of the Propylaea and is dedicated to the Goddesses Athena Nike (the personification of victory). Its beauty and grace are something to behold.
And there she is, standing proudly at the top of the Sacred Rock… the best known temple of the ancient world. There are many ways to view the Parthenon: As an architectural wonder, with columns of subtly changing width that don’t just offer strength but also an optical illusion of straightness; as a shrine to the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare and the Guardian of Athens; and as the place every invader of Athens wanted to claim or destroy. It was the Venetians, in the 17th century, who landed the direct hit that blew up the ammunitions cache of the Ottomans, resulting in the ruin of today. Yet still there is the dignity and grace of a building that proudly represents Athens and culture to a worldwide audience.
A temple dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. Built at the same time as the Parthenon, it is perhaps most famous for the Caryatids that held up its porch with their heads.
South of the Erechtheion, this early 6th century BC monument was built within the precincts of the Mycenaean royal palace of the 14th century BC.
One of the last ancient additions to the Acropolis (around 1st century BC), this small circular temple (or what remains of it) is thought to have held a statue of Augustus and the deified Rome.
One of the 6th century BC additions to the Acropolis, this sanctuary was dedicated to the goddess protecting expectant mothers and women in confinement.
Found along the south wall, the Chalkotheke (“bronze store” in Greek) housed metal votive offerings – weapons, statuettes and other objects, dedicated to the Acropolis.